ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pit — a hole
  6. net — for catching
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com